Gearing



o. KOLLER.

GEARING. APPLICATIO FILED APR. IO, 1,319l

Patented May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l i in. il

mwa w Br l t i t t Amm/vir?r APPLICATION FILED APR. I0, 1919.

0. KOLLER.

GEAmNG.

' Patenfd May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l 47d /IJ v By M I A n ATTORNEY V UNITED STATES OSCAR KOLLER, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latentod May 25, 197150.

Application filed April 10, 1919. Serial N0. 288,939.

` To au who/1i it may conce/m.'

Be it known that I, OseAn Korman, a citizen oil.l the United States, anda resident of New York, in the county ot New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearings, of whichthe followingr is a specification.

The present :invention relates to a gearing, adapted, for instance, forraising and lowering window-shades and the like.

The main object ot the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientelectrically controlled mechanism for winding the shade or curtain uponor unwinding the same from its supporting roll, said mechanism being soconstructed that it can be applied to already existing structureswithout necessitating material changes therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter men-` tioned which can be manufactured -on a commercial scaleor, in other words, one which is not so diicult to make as to be beyondthe reasonable cost of such a contrivance.

With these and other objects in view, which will morefully appear as thenature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in thecombination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanyingr drawings, it being understood that many changes may bemade in the size and proportion ofthe several parts and details ofconstruction within the scope ot' the appended claims without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any ot the advantages of the invention. i

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of aplural ity oi window-shades showing diagram-V matically the applicationof the winding and unwinding mechanism applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a topplan view of a power transmitting apparatus and an electric gearshiftingmechanism, forming part of the device: Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe same; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view il1ustrating the manner ofconnecting a plurality of these power transmitting devices;

and Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings a plurality of windowsliades are shown, three in number,controlled from a single switchboard. lt is obvious that any othersuitable number may be provided, according to the requirements. '.l hewinding and unwinding mechanism oi' each oi these shades is alike inconstruction, so that only one ofi the same need be de scribed herein.

In the drawings, the numeral 1() indicates a supporting roller, that ismounted to revolve in brackets 11, the latter being mounted upon thewindowframe over which the shade 12 on the said roller is adapted to beextended. One ot the `iournals 13 of the roller 10 is connected with anelectric motor 14, there being interposed between these two elements apower transmitting apparatus 15, that is provided with means forreversing, at will, the direction ot rotation of the roll 10. whilemaintaining the direction of rotation olf the motor.

The power transmitting apparatus is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and i3 otthe drawings, and comprises a base 16, from which rise standards 17, inwhich are ro tatably mounted, two parallel spindles 18 and 19. Thespindle 18 is connected with the journal 13 by a flexible shaft 20, andis also geared to the spindle 19, there being fixed to the spindle 18 agear 21, in mesh with a gear 22, the latter being fixed to the spindle19. The motor-shait is connected by a flexible shaft 23 with a shaft 24,the latter being disposed between the spindles 18 and 19 and rotatablymounted in one oit the standards 17 and in a bearingdug 25, that isfixed to the other standard. The shaft 24 is mounted parallel to thespindles 18 and 19, and is shiftable in its bearings in the direction otits longitudinal axis. To the shaft 24 is rigidly secured a pinion 26,that is adapted to mesh with either one of two pinions 27 and 28, fixedto the spindles 18 and 19, respectively. The pinions 27 and 28 are outof alinement. so that the pinion 26 may be unmeshed with either one oi'the same and brought to mesh with the other one.

On the shaft 24 is mounted a downwardly vthe drawings, are connected byelectric conductors to a switchboard 33. This switchboard comprises abase plate 34, for instance of disk-shape, to the center 35 of which ispivoted a switch lever 36, carrying two spring-pressed Contact points 37and 38. rlhe switch lever includes a portion 39 made of electricconducting material, and a handle 40 made of insulating material. F oreach pair of magnets there are mounted on the switchboard two contactpoints 41 and 42, which are disposed in the path of the contact points37 and 38 on the switch lever, the point 37 being adapted to contactwith the points 41 and the point 38 with the points 42. There arefurthermore two contact points 43 and 44 on the base plate 34, thelatter pair of points being also adapted to contact with the contactpoints on the switch lever.

Two of the terminals of each pair of.

electro-magnets 31 and 32 are connected by a conductor 45, and from eachof these conductors leads a connection 46 to the pivot point 35 of theswitch lever. ln each con ductor 46 is inserted an electric battery 46.

The other terminal of each electro-magnet 31 is connected by a conductor47 with a contact point 41, and the other terminal of eachelectro-magnet 32 by a conductor 4S with a contact point 42. Eachcontact point 41 is connected by a conductor 49 with the contact point43 on the switch-board, and from each contact point 42 leads a conductor50 to the contact point 44.

The brushes of each electric motor are connected through the switchboardwith the respective battery 46. These connections, however, have notbeen shown as they do not form part of the present invention.

The operation of the device is as follows r-When it is intended tounwind any one of the window-shades, the switch-leveyer 36 is shifted tobring its contact points in alinement with the respective contact points41 and 42 on the switchboard-` By forcing then the contact 37 againstthe contact 41, the electric circuit, in which the respectiveelectro-magnet 31 is inserted, is closed, whereby the said magnet isenergized, attracting thus the respective armature. The shaft 24 is thusshifted so as to bring the pinion 26 into mesh with the gear 28 on thespindle 19. At the saine time the motor circuit is closed, whereby therotation of its shaft is transmitted by the intermediary of the gears 22and 21 to the roller journal 13, rotating the same so as to unwind theshade.

lf it is intended to raise the shade, thc switch lever is shifted intoregistering position with the respective contact points 4l and 42, andthe contact 38 on the said lever depressed, whereby the circuit of therespective electro-magnet 32 is closed. The pinion 26 is thus shiftedinto mesh with the pinion 27 on the spindle 18. The rotation of theshaft 24 is thus directly transmitted to the spindle 1S, rotating thesaine in the direction so as to wind up the shade.

lf the entire row of window shades is to be unwound simultaneously, theswitch lever is shifted into registering position with the contacts 43and 44 on the switchboard. By depressing the contact 37, the circuits ofall electro-magnets 31 are closed, with the result that all of theroller journals rotate simultaneously in unwinding direction. If all theshades are to be wound up sinnlitaneously, the contact 38 is depressed,thereby closing the circuits of all electro-magnets 32.

It is obvious that, while herein the device has been described.l forraising and lowering window-shades, it may be used in connection withcurtains or in any situation calling for reversible rotary motion.

1. The combination with a rotatably mounted roller, of a motor, and apowei.' transmitting device interposed between said motor and roller,comprising two spindles geared together and having each fixed thereto apinion, said two pinions being out of alinement and one of said spindlesbeing connected with said roller, a longitudinally shiftable shaftcarrying a pinion adapted to mesh with either one of saidfirst-mentioned pinions, said shaft being connected to the motor shaft,and electrically controlled means for shifting said first-mentionedshaft in either direction, at will.

2. In a device according to claim l, said electrically controlledshifting means comprising two electro-magnets, each in an electriccircuit, and an armature common to both electro-magnets carried by saidshiftable shaft.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 7th day of April, A. D. 1919.

OSCAR KOLLER.

